China Defies Western Sanctions with Record Russian LNG Imports

China has set a record for receiving liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia, with at least 25 shipments in September. This exceeds previous figures and marks a significant increase in imports, with volumes reaching 2.1-2.2 billion cubic meters in the month. The Arctic LNG-2 and Portovaya projects provided 12 of these shipments to the Beihai terminal.

The growth in Russian LNG deliveries to China is attributed to favorable weather conditions, which allowed for faster exports via the Northern Sea Route. Additionally, the Arctic LNG-2 project has increased its fleet of vessels and exports, while Yamal LNG traditionally carries more gas to Asia during this time period.

New sanctions imposed by London on Russian LNG have been met with a mixed response. While the West criticizes China's decision to ignore these sanctions, Alexey Grivach, Deputy director of the National Energy Security Fund (NWF), notes that 'China is the only one that allows itself to openly ignore the sanctions of the United States and other Western countries.'

The EU has also continued to import significant volumes of Yamal gas in September, with at least 12 shipments totaling over a billion cubic meters delivered.